Gallagher, the inventive prop comedian known for smashing watermelons as part of his act, died Friday of organ failure, his former manager Craig Marquardo confirmed to Variety. He was 76.
. His hammer’s trademark victim was the watermelon. Gallagher also became famous for his witty wordplay and sharp observational comedy.While his contemporaries went on to host talk shows or star in sitcoms or movies, Gallagher remained on the road in America for nearly four decades, touring steadily up until the COVID-19 pandemic and playing over 3,500 live shows throughout his career.
In the early 1990s, Gallagher gave his brother, Ron Gallagher, permission to do shows using the “Sledge-O-Matic” routine, on the contingency that promotional materials would clearly state that it was Ron, not Leo, who was performing. After several years, Ron started marketing his act as Gallagher Too or Gallagher Two, and in some instances it was not made clear that he was not, in fact, the original Gallagher.
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